Build assistance

Krisqo · Post by **Krisqo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 9:47 am

FINALLY getting my act together and replacing this 2 1/2 year old Dell XPS400 with a nice rig.

Now I'm somewhat knowledgeable when it comes to computer parts and compatibility, but I'm running into a few bottlenecks.

Here are my components so far.

GPU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814130370

MoBo (lots of DoA complaints? Confirm?)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6813188024

CPU (not ready for Quad-Core Yet)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6819115036

RAM (4Gb all together)
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6820145034

Now comes one question I've been asking some people and have been getting mixed responses: how big of a PSU would I need for this? I plan on going SLI a little ways down the line and that made some say I need 1000w. I think that is a little overkill since that will make my PSU one of the most expensive components in this build.

Second is what type of case do I need? Mid-ATX or Full-ATX? The MoBo supports 6 SATA connectors and I plan on using most if not all on a DVD/CD drive and several HDDs for massive storage (don't ask).

One other thing I've been having problems with is heat. At times my current comp gets so hot that I would need to turn on the AC just to keep from sweating. IIRC, I saw that the GPU was running about 65c while idle and one of my HDDs is at 60c. So cooling is a major concern. And I don't want to go down the Liquid cooling road.

I plan on using this new comp for Editing and gaming like FS9, FSX, and some RTS and MMORPG. I am also trying my hardest to keep from going Vista.

Kariudo · Post by **Kariudo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 12:32 pm

Mid towers usually have room for 4 HDDs, but with the GTX 260's length you probably won't be able to use half of your internal HDD bays. Full tower gives you much more room.

The power supply I'm not quite sure on, 1KW does sound like overkill but I'd hesitate to go below 800W (700W Minimum) for SLI-ing those things.
A quick check of some reviews says that this psu can power 2 GTX280s.

For the cooling side of things, there are a few things that can help.
The 260 spits the hot air out of your case...so that will help. It'l still be spitting it out into your room, but that really shouldn't affect your room temps that much.

To keep the cpu cool you should get an aftermarket hsf. For that, the freezer 7 pro should do nicely (and don't forget the arctic silver 5)

You'll need fans to move air around inside your case, the general rule is match the in and out cfm. Good airflow keeps everything cool. Ignoring the psu and gpu, I'd have fans sucking air in from the front and exhausting from the back and top of the case. Speaking of the case, do you have one you are re-using or are you buying another?

Krisqo · Post by **Krisqo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 1:35 pm

I'm going with a new one since I still plan on using my Dell (giving it to Yeiweh) and I don't have any others lying around.

I added that PSU to my shopping list as long as it fits whatever case I'm going to use.

Kariudo · Post by **Kariudo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:05 pm

you have any case in mind (if not, what are you looking for?)

Krisqo · Post by **Krisqo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 2:32 pm

Mostly something big enough to be sure it can house all my components with minimal problems.

Something like
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811133021

or for the overkill factor
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811103010

Since you said a full tower might be best for what I want.

Kariudo · Post by **Kariudo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 3:15 pm

either should be fine, though for silence I'd get the second one with an exhaust fan like this

Krisqo · Post by **Krisqo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 4:26 pm

By exhaust fan you mean the one that will be blowing out the back of the case or the one on the top in this case? Never had or physically seen a case with multiple fans like that.

Kariudo · Post by **Kariudo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 4:45 pm

Yep, when you do put the fan(s) in be sure you get them in the right direction (I think most fans have arrows on the casing to indicate flow direction)

Krisqo · Post by **Krisqo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:21 pm

Okay, I'll try to remember that.

Kariudo · Post by **Kariudo** » Fri Sep 26, 2008 6:41 pm

just had a quick thought. The Q6600 (oem) is cheaper than the cpu you have now, so if price was holding you back from a quad that shouldn't be an issue.